The Compartment
by Lara Liralee
Summary: Warning: Please read my bio before you read this story.
1. Chapter 1

Chip had been maintaining control. Single mindedly, as Lee would, commanding without letting it interfere. Only for ten minutes but it seemed like hours. He was holding on, holding everything at bay when he heard the voice behind him.

"Status?" It was the admiral's voice at his back. A voice Chip would have dreaded hearing if he'd allowed himself to think of the admiral these last ten minutes.

"Sir, are you okay sir?" Sharkey's concerned voice asked.

"I'm fine," Nelson answered. ""Just a bump on the head. Status?"

The question was asked of Chip and Chip should give the report. He should turn around and face the admiral and tell him. Knowing this, he still kept his back to Nelson and Sharkey hesitantly spoke for him.

"The hull ruptured at B-24. It was sealed in time, though. We're almost surfaced."

"Good." The admiral paused. "Where the hell's Lee? He wouldn't sleep through this. He may be hurt. Chief, send-"

"He was in B-24," Chip interrupted. He had the courage to speak, but not the courage to face the admiral. "He was there when it blew and I dogged the hatch."

Nelson was silent behind Chip. He felt a coward keeping Nelson at his back. But, to face Nelson's grief risked the control he had on his own. Again, Sharkey spoke, a tremor in his voice.

"The skipper and I were running down the corridor, headed for the control room. We passed B-24 and he saw Davenport down, trapped under a grid rack. He told me to call for help. I grabbed the mic, the skipper went to Davenport. Mr. Morton showed up and then…" Sharkey's voice choked off.

The control room was dead silent outside the soft ping of the sonar. Chip felt the sub surface but no one broke the silence to announce it. Once again, Sharkey spoke.

"Come on, sir, you need to let the doc have a look at that. It's still bleeding."

Once their footsteps trailed past hearing, Chip turned to resume commands.

"Sonar, set up a running calculation of the safest intercept coordinates for the nearest silos. Missile room, standby to receive and re-set coordinates and be ready to fire on my order. Damage control get a full damage and repair report. As soon as the compartment's cleared, send in a recovery team. Mr. O'Brien, set a course to one mile outside the charted deployment distance."

All Chip wanted was to get away alone to deal with what had happened. But, he couldn't turn over command until his duty was done. Not until Seaview was out of danger and Lee's body was out of the tomb of Chip's making. Chip went through the motions and waited for news they'd found the remains of the man he'd considered a brother for so many years. Finally, O'Brien relayed the information.

"Sir, we've reached safe coordinates. Repair crews estimate three hours to patch. The tear's high, we should hold up fine surfaced. Davenport's body has been recovered. The skipper…" He hesitated. "The skipper wasn't pinned down. He's gone."

The images Chip had held at bay broke through and began to unreel in his mind. Looking through the open doorway and seeing Lee there, kneeling at the crewman's side, one hand on Davenport's shoulder, the other hand on the rack that pinned him. Chip had called out over the general quarters alarm and Lee had heard and turned to Chip's voice. Their eyes had only just met when Chip heard the violent, snarling, tearing hiss. Chip had looked and seen, for only the briefest split second, the rupture begin. Without a second thought or a second glance towards Lee, instinct had kicked in and he'd shut the door and turned the wheel that sealed Lee's fate. Immediately after came Seaview's sudden tilt that threw him off his feet. He'd risen and stood a second staring at the door before he realized what he'd done. He turned to see the horrified look on Sharkey's face. And, for a long few seconds, Chip had stood there on an edge, unable to move or breathe. Then, he'd taken a breath, turned away from Lee's death scene and headed for the control room to take command. He had done well. He had done as well as Lee would have expected of him. But, now that the danger had passed, there was nothing between him and what had happened. No duty to distract him. And Lee's body was gone. Miles away and down past safe diver depth. The flying sub, undergoing updates at the Institute, wasn't aboard. Those were moot points, though, as the entire area was an unstable danger. Command priority was the safety of Seaview and her crew. Lee wouldn't want lives risked on his account. Lee was gone.

"Very well. Notify me immediately of any change in status. You have the con, Mr. O'Brien. I'll be in my cabin."

Chip entered his cabin, shut the door behind him, went to his desk and sat in his chair. He was finally alone, but he wasn't done yet. There were still reports to fill out. And, notifying next of kin. Lee had taken on that duty as solely his responsibility as Captain. Lee had always made it a point to, as soon as possible after their death, visit to offer personal condolences to the deceased crewman's family. With Lee gone, Chip imagined that duty fell to him. Or maybe the admiral. He'd consult the admiral for the proper protocol for notification and courtesy as far as Davenport's family went. As far as Lee went, that job was done. Mrs. Crane was gone and Lee's de facto next of kin already knew. But, Chip would still have to deliver the crushing blow to his own mother. He drew in a deep and ragged breath and struggled to maintain control. But, only a second later he let go, gave up and gave in to grief.


	2. Chapter 2

Chip was exhausted. He'd gone to splash water over his face. Then, he'd returned to his desk, pulled an incident report sheet from a drawer and began to write. He wouldn't rest with the reports undone. As he filled the form, he remembered how quickly he'd reacted to seal the door. Without a second glance towards the men trapped there. And, not a second's thought for Lee. It didn't seem right. He had had no choice; he had done his duty as he turned that wheel. Chip had no doubt his actions were right. What seemed wrong was how he had forgotten Lee in the process. And Davenport. Chip had sealed him to his death as well as Lee. But, Lee's death overshadowed his to the point Davenport was only an afterthought in Chip's conscience. Chip was only human though, he couldn't be expected to mourn a crewman as he would a brother. He did feel bad about Davenport; sorry he was dead and sorry for his family. But, Chip couldn't feel bad for sealing that door. Not only would it show a weakness unacceptable in any command personnel, it defied logic.

Chip heard a knock on his door. "Come in."

Chip looked to see the admiral enter. He began to stand but Nelson stopped him with a downward wave of his hand. There was a gauze square taped across Nelson's forehead over his left eye. But, Nelson looked wounded far worse than his injury could explain. He was haggard and pale, transformed more than seemed possible in the space of an hour. Chip looked away from him and down to the papers on his desk. Despite appearances, though, Nelson was still Nelson. His voice was steady as he spoke.

"How are you, Chip?"

"Fine, sir."

As soon as he heard himself say the words, the thought struck him that that was Lee's line, Lee's lie.

"You don't carry it off as well as he did, Chip."

Chip looked back to the admiral. A small smile creased the sorrow on Nelson's face. Chip answered with a half smile of his own.

"Will examined Davenport," Nelson said. "He didn't drown, he was crushed. He would have died instantly, dead before Lee even found him."

Chip's gut twisted. Fate was adding insult to injury. Lee had died trying to save a dead man. After a few seconds of silence, Nelson spoke again.

"You did what you had to do."

"I know that, sir." Chip did know that, he had no regrets for his actions. He couldn't. "But…"

Nelson waited silently and patiently as Chip debated finishing the sentence.

"I didn't think…I forgot Lee was even there."

"How much harder would it have been if you'd remembered?" Nelson didn't wait for an answer before he continued.

"There wasn't time to think. If you'd delayed a second, we'd be on the bottom, dead. You did what you were trained to do. If you hadn't acted as quickly as you did, there'd be one hundred and twenty five lost rather than two. If he'd been able, Lee would have ordered you to do it."

It was true, Chip knew. Knowing Lee, Lee had been giving that order with his last breath. Almost certainly. There was no way to be sure because Chip hadn't glanced back to him. Lee had to have heard that first warning hiss. He may have even heard it a fraction of a second before Chip. What if Lee had tried to escape? What if Lee had sprinted towards the open doorway? Lee was fast, would have been even faster with death on his heels. But, no matter how fast Lee was, he couldn't have beaten the sea. Chip remembered his last glimpse of Lee. He was at least thirty feet from the door. A second, maybe a second and a half, for Lee to cover the distance to the door, through the doorway and still enough time to secure the door? He couldn't have made it in time, Chip told himself. It was impossible. The wheel was still turning as Chip was knocked from his feet. But, those facts were contrary to the scenario suddenly unfolding in his mind. Lee had made it, he was there, diving for the open doorway just as Chip had slammed it shut.

"Chip," Nelson's voice pulled Chip from his thoughts. Chip looked up to him. "You saved the lives of one hundred and twenty three men tonight. Never forget that."

Chip nodded and Nelson left him alone.


End file.
